أَلَكَ السَديرُ وَبارِقٌ

أَلَكَ السَديرُ وَبارِقٌ

وَمُبائِضٌ وَلَكَ الخَوَرنَق

وَمُبائِضٌ وَلَكَ الخَوَرنَق

Are al-Sadir and Bariq yours,

For you are the tents and the lightning,

and Muba’id, and is al-Khawarnaq yours,

The white, rain-laden clouds and the palace of lofty balconies,

وَالقَصرُ ذو الشُرُفاتِ مِن

وَالقَصرُ ذو الشُرُفاتِ مِن

سِندادَ وَالنَخلُ المُبَسَّق

سِندادَ وَالنَخلُ المُبَسَّق

and the palace with battlements at

Of plastered brick and the palms, stripped and pruned.

Sindad, and the towering palms,

The flood with Al-Ahsa' and the small delectable things,

وَالغَمرُ ذو الأَحَساءِ وَالـ

وَالغَمرُ ذو الأَحَساءِ وَالـ

ـلَذّاتُ مِن صاعٍ وَدَيسَق

ـلَذّاتُ مِن صاعٍ وَدَيسَق

and al-Ghamr with its waterholes, and the

A sa' and little more,

pleasures of cup and bowl,

All of Dhaileb, and the desert-dwellers, too,

وَالثَعلَبِيَّةُ كُلُّها

وَالثَعلَبِيَّةُ كُلُّها

وَالبَدوُ مِن عانٍ وَمُطلَق

وَالبَدوُ مِن عانٍ وَمُطلَق

and all of al-Tha‘labiyya,

From 'An and set free;

and the desert folk, captive and free?

And in the troubled darkness of the new-born camel,

وَتَظَلُّ في دُوّامَةِ الـ

وَتَظَلُّ في دُوّامَةِ الـ

ـمَولودِ يُظلَمُها تَحَرَّق

ـمَولودِ يُظلَمُها تَحَرَّق

Yet, over a spinning-top, you keep on

It is so obscured, it seems afire,

burning with rage like a child deprived of it.

So if you live, our spears will pierce

فَلَئِن تَعِش فَليَبلُغَن

فَلَئِن تَعِش فَليَبلُغَن

أَرماحُنا مِنكَ المُخَنَّق

أَرماحُنا مِنكَ المُخَنَّق

So if you live, they will surely reach—

The strangled foe or him whose life's for hire.

our spears—your throat.

Time's wrongs, the raids, and misery's flames

أَبقَت لَنا الأَيامُ وَالـ

أَبقَت لَنا الأَيامُ وَالـ

ـلَزَباتُ وَالعانِيِ المُرَهَّق

ـلَزَباتُ وَالعانِيِ المُرَهَّق

The days have left us, as have the

Have left us naked, tasks undone, unmet;

hardships and the sorely burdened captive,

Stripped bare, the houses' hangings torn away

جُرداً بِأَطنابِ البُيو

جُرداً بِأَطنابِ البُيو

تِ تُعَلُّ مِن حَلَبٍ وَتُغبَق

تِ تُعَلُّ مِن حَلَبٍ وَتُغبَق

sleek steeds beside the ropes of the tents,

And smeared with dung, defiled, spoiled in every way,

given repeated draughts of milk and their evening drink;

Dead skulls, dried up, picked clean,

وَمُثَقَّفاتٍ ذُبَّلاً

وَمُثَقَّفاتٍ ذُبَّلاً

حُصداً أَسِنَّتُها تَأَلَّق

حُصداً أَسِنَّتُها تَأَلَّق

and straightened, slender spears,

Their tongues, once bridges silver-set.

keen-edged, their spearheads gleaming;

And eggs and arrows! Their herd's tale's told

وَالبَيضَ وَالزَغفَ المُضا

وَالبَيضَ وَالزَغفَ المُضا

عَفَ سَردُهُ حَلَقٌ مُوَثَّق

عَفَ سَردُهُ حَلَقٌ مُوَثَّق

and helmets and doubled mail,

By necks tied fast in nooses, uncontrolled ;

its weave of securely fastened rings;

And we'll rebel, using the swords we wield :

وَصَوارِماً نَعصى بِها

وَصَوارِماً نَعصى بِها

فِيها لَنا حِصنٌ وَمَلزَق

فِيها لَنا حِصنٌ وَمَلزَق

and keen swords with which we resist:

In them for us a pillar and a shield ;

in them we have a fortress and a refuge;

While Zawra', famed for lions, we'll protect ;

وَمَحَلَّةً زَوراءَ في

وَمَحَلَّةً زَوراءَ في

حافاتِها العِقبانُ تَخفِق

حافاتِها العِقبانُ تَخفِق

and a sprawling encampment, at

About her margins vultures wheel and turn,

whose edges eagles flutter.

And if you're frightened, us you will discern,

وَإِذا فَزِعتَ رَأَيتَنا

وَإِذا فَزِعتَ رَأَيتَنا

حَلَقاً وَعادِيَةً وَرَزدَق

حَلَقاً وَعادِيَةً وَرَزدَق

And when you take fright, you will see us:

Both companies and lancers, full of zeal,

mail-clad companies, charging cavalry, and a battle line.

No blaming lions while you are their shield

ما لِلُّيوثِ وَأَنتَ جا

ما لِلُّيوثِ وَأَنتَ جا

مِعُها بِرَأيِكَ لا تُفَرَّق

مِعُها بِرَأيِكَ لا تُفَرَّق

What business have you with lions, when you are

And tyranny's confined within the shacks

gathering them by your counsel, so they are not dispersed?

Of the houses - darkest night that nothing lacks!

وَالظُلمُ مَربوطٌ بِأَفـ

وَالظُلمُ مَربوطٌ بِأَفـ

ـنِيَةِ البُيوتِ أَغَرُّ أَبلَق

ـنِيَةِ البُيوتِ أَغَرُّ أَبلَق

And injustice is tethered in the courtyards

of the houses, white-blazed and piebald.